Float



May 6 1924.

M. TWORSK! FLOAT Filed March 14, 1923 Patented May 6, 132 3.

MARTIN 'rwonsxr, or VANGOUVERQ'IBRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

FLOAT.

Application filed March 14, 1923. Serial No. 624,981.

To all whom. it may (]()7'LC@?"IL.'

Be it known that I, lvlnnrm Twonsnr,

- strips may have lugs 28 formed thereon and citizen of Poland, residing at Vancouver. in the Province of British Columbia. and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to floats for use in raising sunken ships, in the construction of pontoons, or as rafts, or for many other purposes.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the ap ended claims in which the various novel fhatures of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Fig. 1 of the drawings is a detail perspective view, with parts broken away, of my improved float.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, showing the float and its cage as applied to the raising of a sunken ship.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the float as shown in Fig. 2.

My improved float is perferably constructed to be of cylindrical shape when inflated and comprises an inner bag 15 of rub her over which is a covering 16 of canvas or the like. The canvas covering is formed with a slit 17 for the insertion or removal of the rubber bag, the edges of this slit being secured together by lacing 18.

This lacing is preferably covered by a flap 19 secured to the cover 16 and extending over the lacing 18, this flap being laced in turn as at 19 to a narrower flap 20 also secured to the cover. To ensure against the edges of these flaps 19 and 20 catching against objects, and to render the joints water-tight their edges, including the laced edges, may be covered with plastic rubber or rubber cement as indicated at 21.

In Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings I have shown an application of the invention as used in raising sunken ships. In this arrangement any desired number of the floats such as shown in Fig. 1 may be employed. In this arrangement I show the float as enclosed by a collapsible shell or cage consisting of a number of overlapping stave-like strips 25 which extend from end to end thereof. The ends of these strips project into the flanges 26 of steel caps 27 engaging over the ends of the floats. The ends of the provided with fixed headed pins 29 engaged in radial slots 30 in the caps. The different strips are joined, each to the adjacent strip, by means ofshort chains 31 which are taut when the float is expanded, these chains being attached to suitable eyes riveted to the strips. The caps 27 are secured by chains 32 to the strips 27.

Extending along upper and lower sides of the float are beams 3a and 35 respectively which are secured by chains 36 and 37 to the adjacent ones of the shell strips 25. A rope or cable 38,.branched at its lower end as at 39 is connected to the top beam 34, the upper end of this cable 38 being connected to the salvaging vessel.

Connected to the lower beam is a double shackle comprising an upper U-member 39 pivotally attached to the beam 35 by a bolt or pin to, and a lower member 41 swiveled in the upper member and having ahook 42 suspended therefrom.

In operation, the floats are let down into the water to the sunken ship in collapsed condition, the hook 42 being then attached to the ship. It will be understood of course that the weight of the metal parts associated with the float will sink the latter when collapsed. Air is then pumped into the float through a flexible pipe 50 leading thereinto, which pipe may be wire wound or otherwise suitably reinforced. The floats, when filled with air will exert a lifting force to raise the sunken vessel to the surface of the water.

For ready exhaustion of the air from the ters Patent of the United States is as fol lows:

1. In combination, a cylindrical collapsible float, a housing for said float comprising a cylindrical shell divided circumferentially into a number of overlapping strips. top and bottom beams extending along said float,

and chains arranged in series extending around said float and connecting said strips to one another and said beams to said certain of said strips.

2. In combination, a cylindrical collapsible float, a housing for said float comprisinga cylindrical shell divided circumferentially into a number of overlapping strips, caps placed over the ends of the floats and having flanges into which the ends of said strips project. o

3. In combination, a cylindrical collapsible float. a housing for said float comprising a cylindrical shell divided circumferentially into a number of overlapping strips, caps placed over the ends of the floats and having flanges into which the ends of said strips project, and chains connecting said strips to one another and said caps to certain ones of said strips.

4. In combination, a cylindrical collapsible float, a housing for said float comprising a cylindrical shell divided circumferentially into a number of overlapping strips, caps placed over the ends of the floats and having flanges into which the ends of said strips project, and chains connecting said strips to one another and said caps to certain ones of said strips, top and bottom beams extending along said float. and chains connecting said beams to adjacent ones of said strips.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

MARTIN TWOBSKI. 

